MLB Player News

The Giants optioned Eldridge to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

Eldridge posted an .830 OPS with six RBI and eight runs scored through 19 Cactus League games, but 19 of his 40 at-bats resulted in a strikeout. The 21-year-old had been in the running to open the regular season as San Francisco's primary designated hitter, but he will instead report to Sacramento, which will allow him to continue developing his discipline while making regular starts at first base. Now that Eldridge is out of the picture, Jerar Encarnacion figures to be the most likely candidate at DH for the Giants.

The Guardians optioned Brito to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.

Brito logged an .820 OPS over 24 Triple-A games last year, but his attempt at making Cleveland's Opening Day roster will fall short after he slashed just .154/.313/.269 over 32 plate appearances in the Cactus League. The 24-year-old utility man has yet to make his MLB debut, though his defensive versatility figures to help his chances of receiving a midseason promotion.

Severino will start the Athletics' March 27 season opener versus the Blue Jays in Toronto, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

This will be Severino's second consecutive Opening Day start and his third overall. The 32-year-old is coming off the worst season of his MLB career (20-start minimum) as he had a 4.54 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 124:50 K:BB over 162.2 innings last year. The two-time All-Star has not been able to recapture the stretch he had from 2017 to 2022, when he had a 3.10 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Since then, the right-hander has had a 4.71 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across the past three seasons.

The Brewers optioned Henderson to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Henderson impressed during his five regular-season starts with Milwaukee last year, turning in a 1.78 ERA and 0.99 WHIP alongside a 33:8 K:BB through 25.1 frames. Although he won't be part of the Brewers' Opening Day rotation, there's a strong chance that the 24-year-old right-hander will be called upon to start for the big club at some point, and injuries to Brandon Woodruff (lat), Quinn Priester (wrist) and Kyle Harrison (finger) could allow Henderson to return to the majors sooner rather than later.

The Angels reassigned Siri to minor-league camp Thursday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Siri signed a minor-league contract with the Angels at the beginning of February after he slashed just .063/.167/.125 across 36 plate appearances for the Mets in 2025. In 36 plate appearances for the Angels in spring training, the outfielder had another low slash line of .194/.237/.250.

The Brewers optioned Black to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Black played well for the Brewers in the Cactus League, going 11-for-20 with 14 RBI, six runs scored and three steals in just six games. He cooled down while playing for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, however, tallying just one hit and five strikeouts in his 10 at-bats. Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers are expected to receive the vast majority of starts at first base for Milwaukee, so Black will likely spend most of the season as organizational depth at Nashville.

The Brewers optioned Perkins to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Perkins has spent the past few seasons working as Milwaukee's fourth outfielder, but after posting a .665 OPS through 35 plate appearances in the Cactus League, he will seemingly cede that title to Brandon Lockridge to begin the regular season. A return to the majors could come if Perkins' offensive production begins to tick up in the minors, though his ceiling would likely remain as a bench piece.

Gilbert will start the Mariners' March 26 season opener versus the Guardians in Seattle, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Gilbert is receiving his second consecutive Opening Day nod after he notched a 3.44 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 173:31 K:BB during the 2025 regular season. He started off 2025 hot with a 2.37 ERA across his first six starts but left his sixth start early due to a right elbow flexor strain that kept him out over a month. The 2024 All-Star struggled in some starts after returning in mid-June with a 4.55 ERA between then and Aug. 18. The righty was able to lock in down the stretch with a 2.52 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across his final seven regular-season starts in 2025.

Manager Kurt Suzuki said Thursday that Rodriguez is dealing with a dead arm, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez played catch Thursday despite his injury, so it doesn't seem like the Angels are concerned enough to warrant completely shutting the right-hander down just yet. That being said, his status for Opening Day is unclear, and he could be placed on the IL to begin the season if he doesn't begin to feel better within the next several days.

Church has an .825 OPS through 13 Grapefruit League games and has made a strong case to make St. Louis' Opening Day roster, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old entered camp with a fairly clear path to a roster spot, with Lars Nootbaar (heel) set to begin the season on the injured list, and Church has responded with a .290 batting average, one homer and one steal in 37 plate appearances. With the Cardinals committing to a rebuild this offseason, a strong start to the campaign could allow Church to retain a sizable role even after Nootbaar gets healthy.